Archives for February 2012

I was surprised at how much American Heart Month meant to me. Maybe because having a disease is, at its core, a very lonely thing. No matter how much others care, no one really knows what it feels like — or how it makes you feel — to just be. So I set out to […]

I was asked to speak at a United Hospital Foundation event celebrating American Heart Month and to share my “patient story.” The annual event, “Celebrating the Hearts of Women” focuses on women’s heart health and prevention, and was held February 22. I was nervous, but it went well, and I made it through without crying […]

I always love a flash mob video, but this one got to me a little bit. Midway through the camera captures some people holding signs thanking scientists, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, clinical trial participants, and others who work every day to manage, cure, or prevent heart disease. I was looking for flash mob fun but found […]

My friend Breanne has been my running inspiration for years. When I first started running to lose weight after my second son, she cheered my first 5K like I’d just finished the Boston Marathon. When I decided to try for my first marathon, she became my coach. She helped me create a training program, provided […]

If you are an avid follower of heart disease news like me, there’s no way you missed these headlines:  Apparent heart attack at Heart Attack Grill At Heart Attack Grill, diner’s symptom’s weren’t fake Apparently this restaurant in Las Vegas has made a theme out of unhealthy living. People who weigh over 350 pounds eat […]

I heart yoga. I started about 18 months ago, shortly after leaving my full-time job. It had been on my I-really-should-but-don’t-have-time list for years, and I finally screwed up my courage and took a beginner’s class at a studio down the street from me. I had the best teacher who seemed to read my mind […]

This very cool video is worth the watch. It makes it crystal clear why moving your body is the best medicine.

I have been a pretty active mama since my second son was born in August 2007. Staring down a bridesmaid’s dress and a Hawaii destination wedding within five months of his birthday, I had ample motivation to get going. I started walking, then running, and the baby fat melted off. The next spring I ran […]

It’s hard, if not impossible, to know what it is like for those around you, those who love you, when your own life is in crisis. I will never know what my husband felt like the day that I went to the ER but he drove our son to camp. I asked him if he […]

My sons’ school participates in Jump Rope for Heart every year. The children learn about heart health, jump rope for as long as they can (in our school it is a gym class unit), and raise money for the American Heart Association. This year, Jump Rope for Heart is a big deal to my 10-year-old, […]